They learn of his untold past
by world peace
Summary: Sirius and Remus find Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Sotne. NO SLASH. AU. Ignores HBP and DH
1. Chapter 1

_okay I know I shouldn't have started another fic. while working on my other one,but I had this idea for a while,so I went ahead with it.Now I haven't given up on my other story and I won't give up on this one.But updates will be very slow.As I have alot of things going on lately.And I may be helping my sister move.And if that happens I won't get anythig writing doen for a couple of weeks.But just so you know I will NEVER put a story on hiatus or abandon a story._

_Anyway,this tory is kinda AU and ignores HBP and DH.For instance Dumbledore killed Voldemort in the Department of Mysterys and now Sirius is free and he Remus and Harry live in Grmwald Place.Anyway on with the story._

_Oh one more thing I DON'T OWN IT!_

_--_

It was the middle of September and all was quiet and peacefull at Number Twelve Grimwald Place.At least it was for now.The war had been over for almost a year.Voldemort had been defeated by Albus Dumbledore in the Department of Mysterys,and the Wizarding World since.

Except for the last few Deatheaters,although they were being rounded up quickly.

Now that Kingsly Shagbolt was Minister things were running alot more smoothly.

Remus Lupin was sitting quietly in the lybrary of Number Twelve,reading one of the few books left in the Lybrary.When thry had cleaned the house of everything that contained Dark Arts,which didn't leave many books.

Remus looked up from _A Magical History_ when he heard the door open.Sirius Black walked in and started looking amoung the shelves.Sirius had been cleared of all charges after Kingsly had become Minister.Many people thought Kingsly had lost his sanity.But theyy quickly changed thier minds when only two months later Peter Pettigrew had been caught with some other Deatheaters.

"Sirius,what are looking for?" Remus asked as he watched Sirius continue to look amoung the shelves.

"Well,lets see,I'm in the lybrary and last I knew that's where you keep books,so I must be looking for a book." he answered without looking away from the shelves.

"SInce when do you read?" Remus asked amusedly.

''Very funny,Moony.If you mus know,I'm bored.Harry's at school,it's raining,there's nothing to do.So I repeat,I'm bored.I need something to do.Even if it means stooping to _reading_."

Remus laughed and went back to his book,but it wasn't lomg before he was interupted again.

"What the ...?"

Remus looked up.

Sirius was holding a plain brown covered book,it wasn't very thick,and infact there didn't seem to be anything special about it's apperence at all.Yet Sirius stood there there staring at it with wide eyes.

"What's the matter,Padfoot,find a long word?" Remus joked.

But Sirius continued to stare at the book,not even hearinf Remus.

"Sirius?"

Nothing.

''SIRIUS!"

"Huh? What?" he said looking as though he just came out of a daze.

''What's the matter?"

"It's this book.Look at the title."

He handed the book to Remus,who took it with a frown. '_Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone'_.

"Harry? But why would --?" he looked up at Sirius.

"I don't know,but maybe we should reas it and find out why there was a book written about Harry."

Remus nodded and opened the book.

--

_Okay,what do you think?_

_I haven't see any done like this so I thought I'd give it a shot._

_PLEASE review! PLEASE!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay here's the second chapter, I know it's taken me forever, but I have been soooo busy lately I can barely sit for five seconds much less work on my storys. _

_**Disclaimer: **__I don't own it._

**--**

"**Chapter One- The Boy Who Lived."**

"**Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say that they **

"**They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense."**

"**Mr. Dursley was the director of a firm called Grunnings, which made drills."**

"**He was a big beefy man with hardly any neck, although he did have a very large mustache. Mrs. Dursley was thin and blond and had nearly twice the amount of neck, which came in very useful as she spent so much of her time craning over garden fences, spying on the neighbors."**

"No wonder Harry hated living with them,just having to look at them would be torture enough," Sirius said.

"**The Dursley's had a small son called Dudley and in their opinion there was no finer boy anywhere."**

"**The Dursley's had everything they wanted, but they also had a secret, and their greatest fear was that somebody would discover it. They didn't think they could bear it if any one found out about the Potters. **

"And whats wrong with the Potter's?" Sirius asked eyes narrowing.

**Mrs, Potter was Mrs. Dursley's sister"**

"**But they hadn't met for several years in fact, Mrs. Dursley pretended she didn't have a sister, because her sister and her good-for-nothing-husband **

"Good for nothing?!" Sirius yelled. "Just wait until I get my hands on you,Dursley you'll wish you'd never been born." he growled.

"Sirius calm down," Remus said,although he looked like he had a few choice words he'd like to tell the Dursleys.

**were as unDursleyish as it was possible to be."**

"**The Dursley shuddered to think what the neighbours would say if the Potters arrived in the street. The Dursley's knew that the potters had a small son, too, but they had never seen him. This boy was another good reason for keeping the Potters away; they didn't want Dudley mixing with a child like that."**

"A child like what?" Sirius asked narrowing his eyes again.

"Padfoot..." Remus warned although he looke throughly put-out with the Dursleys as well.

**When Mr. and Mrs. Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday out story starts,there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr. Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work, and Mrs. Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. Non of the noticed a large, tawny owl flutter past the window."**

"**At half past eight, Mr. Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs. Dursley on the cheek, and tried to kiss Dudley good-bye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls.**

"And Harry lived with these people?" Sirius asked in disgust.

'Unfotunatly," Remus sighed.

**"Little tyke," chortled Mr. Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four's drive. It was on the corner of the street that he noticed the first sign of something peculiar– a cat reading a map,**

''Wonder what McGonagall's doing there," said Remus looking thoughtful.

"I'm not sure I want to know," Sirius said with raised eyebrows.

**for a second, Mr. Dursley didn't realize what he had seen– then he jerked his head around to look again. These was a tabby cat standing on the corner of Privet Drive, but there wasn't a map in sight. What could he have been thinking of? It must have been a trick of the light. Mr. Dursley blinked and stared at the cat. It stared back. **

"Probably giving him one of those stares that make you feel like your being x-rayed," Sirius said smiling.

"You'd know,you were on the end of alot of those looks," Remus stated.

**As Mr. Dursley drove around the corner and up the road he watched the cat in his mirror it was now reading the sign; cats couldn't read maps **_**or**_** signs. Mr. Dursley gave himself a little shake and put the cat out of his mind. As he drove toward town he though of nothing except a large order of drills he was hoping to get that day."**

"**As he sat in the usual morning traffic jam, he couldn't help notice that there seemed to be a lot of strangely dressed people about. People in cloaks. Mr. Dursley couldn't bear people who dressed in funny clothes — the getups you saw on young people! He supposed this was some stupid new fashion. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel and his eye fell on a huddle of these weirdos standing quite close by. They were whispering excitedly together. Mr. Dursley was enraged to see that a couple of them weren't young at all; why, that man had to be older than her was, and wearing an emerald-green cloak!"**

Sirius rolled his eyes, ''I feel for Harry having to live with these imbecils for such a long time."

Remus nodded his head in agreement.

**. Dursley that this was probably some silly stunt — these people were obviously collecting for something...yes, that would be it. The traffic moved on and a few minutes later, Mr. Dursley arrived in Grunnings parking lot, his mind back on drills."**

"This moron has the attention span of a cockroach,and it wouldn't surpise me if he looked like one too," Sirius said.

Remus snorted.

"**Mr. Dursley always sat with his back to the window in his office an the ninth floor. If he hadn't, he might have found it harder to concentrate on drills that morning. He didn't see the owls swooping past in broad daylight, though people sworn in the street did; they pointer and gazed open-mouthed as owl after owl sped overhead. Most of them had never seen an owl even at night time. Mr. Dursley, however, had a perfectly normal, owl-free morning. He yelled at five different people. He made several important telephone calls and shouted a bit more. **

"This man seriously needs anger managment classes." Sirius concluded.

**He was in a very good mood until lunchtime, when he though he'd stretch his legs and walk across the road to buy himself a bun from the bakery."**

**He'd forgotten all about the people in cloaks until he passed a group of them next to the baker's. He eyed them angrily as he passed. He didn't know why, but they made him uneasy. This bunch were whispering excitedly, too, and he couldn't see a single collecting tin. It was on his way back past them, clutching a large doughnut in a bag, that he caught a few words of what they were saying.**

**"The Potters, that's right. That's what I heard —"**

**"— yes, their son Harry —"**

"Can't they find something better to gossip about," Sirius muttered.He looked annoyed at the gosipers but he also had a saddened look in his eyes.And if you looked at Remus you could see the same sadness.

"**Mr. Dursley stopped dead. Fear flooded him. He looked back at the whisperers as if he wanted to say something to them, but thought better of it.**

**He dashed back across the road, hurried up to his office , snapped at his secretary not to disturb him, seized his telephone, and had almost finished dialing his home number when he changed his mind. He put the receiver back down and stroked his mustache, thinking... **

"I'm surprised he could," Sirius mutterd.

**no, he was being stupid. **

"At least he's admitting he has a problem," Remus pointed out.

**Potter wasn't such an unusual name. He was sure there were lots of people called potter who had a son called Harry**."

**Come to think of it, he wasn't even sure his nephew was called Harry. He'd never even seen the boy. It might have been Harvey. Or Harold. "**

Sirius and Remus looked shocked.

"You have got to be kidding," Sirius said, ''They don't even know his name.I knew they were bad but..."

"**There was just no point in worrying Mrs. Dursley; she always got so upset at any mention of her sister. He didn't blame her — if He'd had a sister like that**

Both Sirius and Remus narrowed thier eyes.

"Like what?" Sirius asked.

**...but all the same, those people in cloaks...**

**He found it a lot harder to concentrate on drills that afternoon and when he left the building at five o' clock, he was still so worried that he walked straight into someone just outside the door.**

"**Sorry," the grunted, as the tiny old man stumbled and almost fell. It was a few second before Mr. Dursley realized that the man was wearing a violet cloak. He didn't seem at all upset at being almost knocked to the ground. On the contrary, his face split into a wide smile and he said **

"**Rejoice, for You-Know-Who has gone at last! Even Muggles like your self should be celebrating, this happy, happy day!"**

Remus raised his eyebrows, ''he was saying this infront of all those Muggles?" he asked increduasly.

"**And the old man hugged Mr. Dursley around the middle and walked off."**

"**Mr. Dursley stood rooted to the spot. He had been hugged by a complete stranger. He also thought he had been called a Muggle, whatever that was. He was rattled. He hurried to his car and set off for home, hoping he was imagining things, which he had never hoped before, because he didn't approve of imagination.**

**As he pulled into the driveway of number four, the first thing he saw — and it didn't improve his mood — was the tabby cat he'd spotted that morning. It was now sitting on his garden wall. He was sure it was the same one; it had the same markings around its eyes."**

""**Shoo!" said Mr. Dursley loudly"**

Sirius started laughing and Remus smiled.

"C-can you imag-imagine the look on her f-face," Sirius chocked out.

"**The cat didn't move. It just gave him a stern look.**

"That's the look!" Sirius cried.

**Was this normal cat behavior? "**

"**Mr. Dursley wondered. Trying to pull himself together, he let himself into the house. He was still determined not to mention anything to his wife.**

**Mrs. Dursley had a nice, normal day. She told him over dinner all about Mrs. Next Door's problems with her daughter and how Dudley had learned a new word ("Shan't"). **

"Lovely," Sirius muttered,his voice full of sarcasum.

**Mr Dursley tried to act normally. When Dudley had been put to bed, he went into the living room in time to catch the last report on the evening news: **

"**And finally, bird-watchers everywhere have reported that the nations's owls have been behaving very unusually today. Although owls normally hunt at night and are hardly ever seen in daylight, there have been hundreds of sightings of these birds flying in every direction since sunrise. Experts are unable to explain why the owls have suddenly changer their sleeping pattern." The news caster allowed himself a grin. "Most mysterious. And now, over to Jim McGuffin with the weather. Going to be anymore showers of owls tonight, Jim?"**

"Exiciting," Sirius mumblred,in a bored tone of voice.With his head resting on his chin.

Remus rolled his eyes.Remus had to admit it Sirius had matured since he was at Hogwarts,but at times it didn't seem like he had.

**"Well, Ted," said the weatherman, "I don't know about that. But it's not only the owls that have been acting oddly today. Viewers as far as Kent, Yorkshire, and Dundee have been phoning in to tell me that instead of the rain that I promised yesterday, they've had a downpour of shooting stars."**

**Perhaps people have been celebrating Bonfire Night early — it's not until next week folks! But I can promise a wet night tonight."**

**Mr. Dursley sat frozen in his armchair. Shooting stars all over Britain? Owls flying by daylight? Mysterious people in cloaks all over the place? And whisper, a whisper about the Potters...**

"Amazing.The moron's starting to peice some things together." Remus said.

Sirius looked at him with raised eyebrows,his head still resting on his chin.

"What?" Remus asked looking at him.

"It's just that,I don't think I've ever heard you insult some one before.Except me,that is." Sirius said

Remus looked at him.,rolled his eyes,and started reading again.

**Mrs. Dursley came into the living room carrying two cups of tea. It was no good. He'd have to say something to her. He cleared his throat nervously. "Er — Petunia**,

"**dear — you haven't heard from your sister lately, have you?"**

**As he expected, Mrs. Dursley looked shocked and angry. After all, they normally pretended she didn't have a sister**."

"**No," she said sharply. "Why?"**

"**Funny stuff on the news," Mr. Dursley mumbled. "Owls...shooting stars...and there were a lot of funny-looking people in town today..."**

"_**So**_**?" snapped Mrs. Dursley**

"**Well, I just thought...maybe...it was something to do with...you know...**_**her **_**crowd."**

" Her crowd'?" Sirius asked looking annoyed. "for crying out loud! Say it with me. 'wizards'.Come on,say it."

**Mrs. Dursley sipped her tea through pursed lips. Mr. Dursley wondered whether he dare tell her he'd heard the name "Potter." he decided he didn't dare. Instead he said, as casually as he could. "Their son — he'd be about Dudley's age now, wouldn't he?"**

"**I suppose so," said Mrs. Dursley stiffly.**

"**What's his name again? Howard, isn't it?"**

"**Harry. Nasty common name, if you asked me."**

"Well, no one did so stuff a sock in it," Sirius growled.

"**Oh, yes," said Mr. Dursley, his heart sinking horribly. "Yes, I quite agree."**

**He didn't say another word on the subject as they went upstairs to bed. While Mrs. Dursley was in the bathroom, Mr. Dursley crept to the bedroom window and peered down into the front garden. The cat was still there. It was staring down Privet Drive as though it were waiting for something.**

**Was he imagining things? Could all this have anything to do with the Potters? If it did... if it got out that they were related to a pair of — **

'Go,ahead Dursley.Say it." Sirius scowled.

**well, he didn't think he could bear it.The Dursley's got into bed. Mrs. Dursley fell asleep quickly but Mr. Dursley lay awake, turning it all over in his mind. His last comforting thought before he fell asleep was that even if the Potters were involved, there was no reason for them to come near him and Mrs. Dursley. The Potters knew very well what he and Petunia thought about them and their kind...He couldn't see how he and Petunia could get mixed up in anything that might be going on — he yawned and turned over — it couldn't affect **_**them**_**...**

**How very wrong he was.**

"Oh,come on!" Sirius cried. "we're supposed to be reading about Harry! Not about this fat moron and all his mental problems!"

"And who's the one with the attention span of a cockaroach?" Remus asked amused.

"Oh,shut up,Moony." Sirius said scowling at the werewolf.

**Mr. Dursley might have been drifting into an uneasy sleep, but the cat on the wall outside was showing no sign of sleepiness. It was sitting as still as a statue, its eyes fixed unblinkingly on the far corner of Privet Drive. It didn't so much as quiver when a car door slammed in the next street, nor when two owls swooped overhead. In fact, it was nearly midnight before the cat moved at all."**

"**A man appeared on the corner the cat had been watching, appeared so suddenly and silently you'd have though he'd just popped out of the ground."**

"Apparetion?" Sirius suggested dully.

"Obviously," Remus said," giving an annoyed sigh.

**The cat's tail twitched and it's eyes narrowed.**

**Nothing like this man had ever been seen on Privet Drive. He was tall, thin, and very old, judging by the silver of his hair and beard, which were both long enough to tuck into his belt. He was wearing long robes, a purple cloak that swept the ground, and high-heeled, buckled books. His eye were light, bright, and sparkling behind half-moon spectacles and his nose was very long and crooked, as though it had been broken at least twice."**

"Dumbledore?" Sirius supplied dully.

Remus threw Srius an annoyed look.

"**This man's name was Albus Dumbledore."**

"Duh," said Sirius oncce again dully.

"Sirius!" Remus cried exsaperatedly.

**Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."**

"That it would be McGonagall?" Sirius said dully again.

Remus growled.

"Okay,okay,Moony.Sheesh."

**He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. **

"**He clicked it again — the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, even beady-eyes Mrs. Dursley, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.**

"**Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."**

"Well,that solves that old mystery." Sirius said.

"What Mystery?" Remus asked.

"Weather or not Dumbeldore fancied Minne."

Remus raised his eyebrows, ''Sirius you're are, honestly, the strangest person I ever met."

"**He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather sever-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. She, too, was wearing a cloak, an emerald one. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.** "**How did you know it was me?" she asked.**

"**My dear Professor, I've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."**

"Translation: You need to losen up." Sirius replied.

"**You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day." Said Professor McGonagall**

"**All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."**

**Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily.**

"She does that quite often," Sirius siad.

"Well, if you didn't go out fo your way to annoy her, she probably wouldn't do it as often" Remus pointed out.

''I don't go out of my way," Sirius said, "it's my soul perpous in life to annoy Minne."

"That's another thing that gets on her nerves."

"What?"

"Calling her Minnie.She hates it."

"I know," Sirius said smiling.

"**Oh, yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no — even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head at the Dursley' dark living -room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls...shooting stars...Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent — I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle he never had much sense."**

'He's not that bad," Sirius said.

"You only say that, because he played that prank on the slytherins in our 4th year." Remus pointed out.

"Thats reason enough," Sirius said shrugging.

"**You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."**

"**I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in muggle clothes, swapping rumours."**

**She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really **_**has **_**gone, Dumbledore?"**

"**It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop."**

"Leave it to Dumbledore," Sirius said shaking his head smiling.

"**A **_**what**_**?"**

"**A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."**

"Dumbledore always did have a great way to grasp the situation didn't he?" Sirius asked his smile widening.

"**No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone — "**

"**My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You-Know-Who' nonsense — for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: **_**Voldemort.**_

Sirius smiled. "wish I could have seen the look on her face.

**Professor McGonagall flinched**

"**But Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name."**

"**I know you haven't," said professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. **

"See, Minnie has a crush on Dumbeldore too." Sirius pointed out.

Remus just rolled his eyes.

**"But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know-oh, all right, **_**Voldemort**_**, was frightened of.** "**You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."**

"**Only because you're too — well — **_**noble **_**to use them."**

"**It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."**

Sirius burst out laughing. ''see! see! I told you so!"

Remus chuckled a little too,but quickly turned it into a cough.

"**Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumours that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"**

This caused both Sirius and Remus to stop laughing all most at once,and stare at the book with a sad look.

**It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.**

**What they're saying," she pressed on**,

"She always was kinda of impaitient." Sirius said.

'Do you think it's possible you had something to do with that?'' Remus asked with a smirk.

Sirius looked thoughtful for a moment. ''No." he answered finally.

Remus smirked and shook his head.

"**Is that last night Voldemort turned up in… in Godric's hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumour is that Lily and James Potter are — are — that they're — dead."**

Remus stopped reading,he had imense sadness and pain in his eyes.

Sirius had buried his head in his hands,and they where a few tears running down his cheeks.

" **Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.**

**"Lily and James... I can't believe it...I didn't want to believe it...Oh, albus..."**

"I can't imagine the look on James's face, if he knew McGonagall said that," Rems said trying to liten the mood."

It worked a little.Sirius gave a weak smile.

"**Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I know..." he said heavily**

**Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. But — he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemorts power somehow broke — and that's why he's gone."**

"James always said Harry would be a tough little bugger." Sirius said giving a small,sad,smile.

"**Dumbledore nodded glumly.**

"**It's — it's **_**true**_**?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done...all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding...of all the things to stop him... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"**

"**We can only guess," said Dumbledore. "We may never know."**

A huge grin spread across Sirius's face.

"What?" Remsu asked.

"Dumbledore doesn't know the answer.This is perfect balckmail."

Remus once again rolled his eyes.He still swore that Sirius had the mind of a teenager sometimes.At least he had cheered up.

**Professor McGonagall pulled out a laced handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. **

"Moony,when we're done with this chapter remind me to alert the Daily Prophet.This is front page news! Minne is actually crying!"

**Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"**

"**Yes"-said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me **_**why **_**you're here, of all places?"**

"**I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."**

"Sirius mubled something incoherent, Remus, even with his advanced hearing,only caught bits and peices.

"Don't treat him like family...Bloody muggles...wait till I get my hands on them...Idiot Peter...should've killed him when I had the chance..."

"**You don't mean — you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four. "Dumbledore — you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son — I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"**

"Bravo, Minne!" Sirius cried,clapping his hands. "You know I never thought I'd say this,but I agree with her."

"Now that's front page news." Remus said smiling.

Sirius scowled.

"**It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."**

Sirius snorted.

"Old coot...how could he even think that...why would anyone..." He mumbled to himself.

"**A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous — a legend — I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry potter day in the future — there will be books written about Harry — every child in our world will know his name!"**

"Go McGonagall!" Sirius yelled, ''she's done it again!''

"**Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boys head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"**

"**Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, **

"You know I didn't think it was possible for her to change her mind," Sirius commented.

**swallow, and then said, "Yes — yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it."**

"**Hagrid's bringing him."**

"**You think it — wise — to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?**

"**I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore."**

"**I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to — what was that?"**

"**A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky — and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.**

"I wonder what happened to my motercycle," Sirius said with a thoughtful look.

"Maybe you should ask Hagrid when we're done reading," Remus said.

"Good idea, Moony."

"**If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild — long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash cans lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets."**

"**Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last. And where did you get that motorcycle?"**

**Borrowed it, Professor Dumbledore, sir," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir"**

"**No problems, were there?"**

"No, but of you leave him with the Dyrsley's there'll be problems." Sirius muttered.

"**No, sir — house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep as we was flyin' over Bristol."**

**Dumbledore and professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his fore head they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lighting.** "**Is that where — ?" whispered Professor McGonagall.**

"**Yes" said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."**

"**Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"**

"Yeah, why didn't he?" Sirius asked.

"How would I know, Sirius?" Remus replied.

"You're Moony.You always know the answer."

Remus oppened his mouth to retort, but changed his mind and closed his mouth again.

"**Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground"**

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "That was a bit of information I could have done well without."

"**Well — give him hear, Hagrid — we'd better get this over with."**

**Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursley's' house**

"**Could I — Could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog."**

"**Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"**

"Minnie always did have a way with comforting people," Sirius said smiling.

"Don't let her hear you calling her Minnie," Remus warned, ''remember what happened last time?"

"**S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, Taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it.** **"But I c-c-can't stand it — Lily an' James dead — an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles — "**

Sirius closed his eyes as if to keep from crying, and Remus gave a sad sigh.

"**Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself. Hagrid, or we'll be found," **

"There's that lovely comfort again." Sirius said brighting a little at the chance to tease his old Professor.

**Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle, hagrid's shoulders shook, professor mcGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.**

"You know I think the only time I saw Dumbledore that sad was when he announced that Professor Colins had died." Remus said thoughtfully.

"Hmm," Sirius replied, clearly not paying attention to the conversation.

Remus threw a pillow, which bounced off his head.

"Ow, what was that for?" Sirius scowled.

Remsu just smiled and started reading again.

"**Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."**

"**Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "Ill be takin' Sirius his bike back. **

"Didn't do any bloody good." Sirius muttered angrily.

**G'night, Professor Mcgonagall — Professor Dumbledore, sir."**

**Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.**

"**I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply**.

"This is perfect blackmail material," Sirius said grinnigng.

**Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.**

"**Good luck, Harry" he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.**

**A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing thing to happen. Harry potter rolled over insider his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley...He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: 'To Harry Potter — the boy who lived!'**

"Right, you want to read next Sirius?" Remus asked, looking a little upset.

Sirius nodded sadly and took the book.

"Let's hope the next chapter isn't so bloody depressing." Sirius said.

--

_Well, what did you think? There is one way you can tell me...REVEIW!_


	3. Chapter 3

**THE VANISHING GLASS  
**  
**Nearly ten years had passed since the Dursley's had woken up to find their nephew on the front step, but Privet Drive had hardly changed at all. The sun rose on the same tidy front gardens and lit up the brass number four on the Dursleys' front door; it crept into their living room, which was almost exactly the same as it had been on the night when Mr. Dursley had seen that fateful news report about the owls.**

"That must be the most boring neighborhood in history," Sirius said rolling his eyes, "I couldn't stand it.It would drive me crazy."

"You already are," Remus smirked.

"Ha, ha, ha," Sirius replied dryly.

**Only the photographs on the mantelpiece really showed how much time had passed. Ten years ago, there had been lots of pictures of what looked like a large pink beach ball wearing different-colored bobble hats - but Dudley Dursley was no longer a baby, and round about at the fair, playing a computer game with his father,** **being hugged and kissed by his mother. The room held no sign at all that another boy lived in the house, too.**

"Meaning?" Remus asked a little coolly.

"I'm not sure I want to know," Sirius said scowling at the book.

**Yet Harry Potter was still there, asleep at the moment, but not for long. His Aunt Petunia was awake, and it was her shril voice which made the first noise of the day.**

**"Up! Get up! Now!"**

Sirius winched. "I wonder what's worse her shirll voice or my mothers banshee yelling." he said shaking his head.

"I heard your mother yell," Remus told him, "It's a tie between the two."

**Harry woke with a start. His aunt rapped on the door again.  
"Up!" she screeched. Harry heard her walking towards the kitchen and then the sound of the frying pan being put on the cooker. He rolled on to his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been a good one. There had been a flying motorbike in it.He had a funny feeling he'd had the same dream before.**

Sirius rose an eyebrow, "How does he remember that?"

"He probably remembers it subsconciously, because he thinks it's just a dream he had before." Remus said shrugging.

"Thank you O' Wise One!" Sirius said bowing his head in a mock bow.

"That's so funny I forgot how to laugh," Remus said tossing a pillow at his friend's head.

Funny as it sounded he had missed Sirius' teasing, and he was glad to have his friend back.

.**His aunt was back outside the door.  
"Are you up yet?" she demanded.  
"Nearly," said Harry.**

**"Well, get a move on, I want you to look after the bacon. And don't you dare let it burn, I want everything perfect on Duddy's birthday."**

**Harry groaned.  
"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.  
"Nothing, nothing ..."  
Dudley's birthday - how could he have forgotten? Harry got slowly out of bed and started looking for socks. He found a pair under his bed and, after pulling a spider off one of them, put them on. Harry was used to spiders, because the cupboard under the stairs was full of them, and that was where he slept.**

"His.Bedroom.Was.A.Cupboard." Sirius said. Then the meaning of the words seemed to sink in.

"HIS BEDROOM WAS A CUPBOARD!!"

Sirius stood up,threw the book down, and started walking toward the door.

'Sirius, where are you going?" Remus said getting up too, and heading after his friend.

"I'm going to kill the Dursley's," Sirius growled, ''when I get my hands on them...!"

Remus realised that there wouldn't be much use in trying to talk some sense into him. So instead he pulled out his wand and locked the library door.

"Moony, let me out!"

"No." Remus answered calmly.

"LUPIN!"

"No, Sirius." Remus stated calmly.

Sirius glared.

"Sirius if you do anything to the Dursley's they'll put you back in Azkaban. And you won't be able to anything there, least of all help Harry. And if your sent back to Azkaban Harry will have to go back to the Dursley's. Is that what you want?"

Sirius continued to glare but walked back over, picked up the book, and sat back down.

Although it looked like it took a lot of force.

Remus sighed and put his wand away. But he didn't unlock the door. He had a feeling this wouldn't be the only time Sirius would want to kill the Dursley's. Although Sirius had a point. Remus wouldn't mind throwing a couple good hexes at the Dursley's himself. But he sat back down as well, so Sirius could continue reading.

**When he was dressed he went down the hall into the kitchen. The table was almost hidden beneath all Dudley's birthday presents.It looked as though Dudley had got the new computer he wanted, not to mention the second television and the racing bike.**

Remus looked at Sirius with a raised eyebrow when he started muttering to himself about fat tub of lard's who were constantly spoiled while his Godson slept in a cupboard. Remus was starting to worry about his friend, not that he wouldn't like to '_visit_' the Dursleys' sometime, but...

**Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise - unless of course it involved punching somebody. Dudley's favorite punch-bag was Harry, **

This time both Remus and Sirius growled.

"Maybe we should use them as punching bags," Sirius growled, glaring at the book.

Remus nodded vigorously.

**but he couldn't often catch him. Harry didn't look it, but he was very fast.**

"Not something he gets from James, is it?" Remus asked slightly amused.

Sirius snorted, "James couldn't out run a flobberworm."

**Perhaps it had something to do with living in a dark cupboard, but Harry had always been small and skinny for his age.**

Sirius growled and Remus glared at the book in disgust.

"Maybe we should go see the Dursleys after we're done reading the book." Remus suggested.

"Good idea, Moony." Sirius said grinning, "You always did have good ideas."

Remus smirked, "Of course, do you think you or James could have found out the best way to prank that annoying little Hufflepuff was to threaten to prank him, then never actually prank him.The best joke was the one that never came." he said leaning back in his chair and resting is arms behind his head.

Sirius laughed, "You can't deny that James and I came up with some good one's.But I have to admit, that was the best prank ever.What was that kids names again? Started with a 'G' or something."

Remus shrugged, "You expect me to remember the names of all the people we pranked? There were to many!"

"This is true." Sirius replied smirking.

**He looked even smaller and skinnier than he really was because all he had to wear were old clothes of Dudley's and Dudley was about four times bigger than he was.**

Sirius and Remus scowled at the book.

"I always wondered when I saw Harry in muggle clothes, they seemed ten times as big." Remus said, still glaring at the book.

**Harry had a thin face, knobbly knees, black hair and bright-green eyes.**

**He wore round glasses held together by a lot of Sellotape because of all the times Dudley had punched him on the nose.**

Sirius growled again, "How would you like me to punch you in the nose, kid?"

"Sirius, he can't hear you.You know that right?" Remus said amused, although he was still put out with Harry's cousin.

"Stuff it, Moony."

**The only thing Harry liked about his appearance was a very thin scar on his forehead which was shaped like a bolt of lightning. He had had it as long as he could remember and the first question he could ever remember asking his aunt was how he had got it.  
"In the car crash when your parents died,"**

It's funny how one sentence can cause so much anger...

"CAR CRASH!!" The two friends yelled.

Remus started treating to curse the Dursley's with ever curse imaginable and Sirius was claiming to live up to the title murder.That's how Tonks found them ten minutes later when she flooed into Grimwald Place.

She stood watching them rant for a few minutes with a confused look on her face, which turned to a scowl when they didn't realise she was standing right there.

"Hey!" She yelled trying to get their attention, nothing. "HEY!" she yelled again, louder.This seemed to get their attention.

They both looked over at her.

Remus seemed to relax upon seeing Tonks, which she noticed and smiled because of it.

"Hello, Nymphadora." Remus said.

"I just came to give a message from Dumbledore, he said the next Order meeting is next Sunday.Try and find a way we can figure out what to do with the rest of those bloody dementors."

"Thanks, Nympha --" Siruis started to say.

"Sirius!" she yelled.

"What? Moony called you by your first name, why can't I?" he asked, hiding a smile knowing this would embarrass both her and Remus.

Which it did.Tonks cheeks turned a pink to match her hair, and a small blush started to creep up Remus' face.

"I've got to get back to the ministry," Tonks said glaring at Sirius, "see you lot later.And tell Harry I said 'hi'."

"Will do" Sirius said smiling.

"She you later." Remus said still blushing slightly.

She gave a warm smile, threw another death glare at Sirius, and flooed back to the ministry.

**she had said. "and don't ask questions."**

**Don't ask questions - that was the first rule for a quiet life with the Dursleys.  
Uncle Vernon entered the kitchen as Harry was turning over the bacon.**

**"Comb your hair!" he barked, by way of a morning greeting.**

"Wouldn't do any good, James tried everything, but it always looked like he hadn't even tried to brush it," Sirius said shaking his head smiling reminiscently.

"I still don't think I'll forget when he tried using that goo or whatever he had.Turned his hair blue for the whole week." Remus said laughing.

"Oh yeah," Sirius said starting to laugh, " we literally had to drag him from the dorm room to classes that first day."

**About once a week, Uncle Vernon looked over the top of his newspaper and shouted that Harry needed a haircut. Harry must have had more haircuts than the rest of the boys in his class put together, but it made no difference, his hair simply grew that way - all over the place.**

Sirius let out a bark like laugh, "I remember that time I tired cutting off all James' hair, for revenge of when he made me go that whole day with pink hair.I could wait till he saw it the next morning, he woke up and it had grown all back.Somehow he knew too, kept teasing me about not knowing how to prank properly." Sirius said shaking his head, but you could still see the sad look in his eyes.

Remus gave a sad smile and waited for Sirius to keep reading.

**Harry was frying eggs by the time Dudley arrived in the kitchen with his mother. Dudley looked a lot like Uncle Vernon. He had a large, pink face, not muck neck, small, watery blue eyes and thick, blond hair that lay smoothly on his thick, fat head. Aunt Petunia often said that Dudley looked like a baby angel - Harry often said that Dudley looked like a pig in a wig.**

Sirius laughed and even Remus could help but chuckle.

"He inherited the Marauder humor early," Sirius said still laughing.

**Harry put the plates of egg and bacon on the table, which was difficult as there wasn't much room. Dudley, meanwhile was counting his presents. His face fell.**

**"Thirty-six," he said, looking up at his mother and father. "That's two less than last year."**

Remus rose his eyebrows, "Who in the world gets thirty-eight presents?"

"Spoiled, little sods like Dudley." Sirius replied.

**"Darling, you haven't counted Auntie Marge's present, see, it's here under this big one from Mummy and Daddy."**

**"All right then, thirty-seven then," said Dudley, going red in the face.**

**Harry, who could see a huge Dudley tantrum coming on, began wolfing down his bacon as fast as possible in case Dudley turned the table over.**

**Aunt Petunia obviously scented danger too, because she said quickly, "And we'll buy you another **_**two**_** presents while we're out today. How's that popkin? **_**Two**_** more presents. Is that all right?"**

'Spoiled, rotton, little..."

"Sirius." Remus interrupted somewhat amusedly.

**Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work.**

**Finally he said slowly, "So I'll have thirty ... thirty ..."**

"That boy is a moron."

Sirius looked up quickly, "Moony?" he asked smiling.

"What?"

"I'm just surprised you said something like that, that's all." he said still smiling.

Remus rolled his eyes, "Well that's awful, I mean thirty-seven plus two.How stupid can you get?"

"Apparently pretty stupid."

**"Thirty nine, sweetums," said Aunt Petunia.**

**"Oh." Dudley sat down heavily and grabbed the nearest parcel. "All right then."**

**Uncle Vernon chuckled. "Little tyke wants his money's worth, just like his father. Atta boy, Dudley!" He ruffled Dudley's hair**.**At that moment the telephone rang and Aunt Petunia went to answer it while Harry and Uncle Vernon watched Dudley unwrap the racing bike, a cine-camera, a remote control airplane, sixteen new computer games and a video recorder. He was ripping the paper off a gold wristwatch when Aunt Petunia came back from the telephone, looking both angry and worried.**

**"Bad news, Vernon," she said. "Mrs. Figg's broken her leg. **

"I wonder how dear old Figgy broke her leg." Sirius mused.

"Don't call her Figgy, Sirius." Remus told him.

"Why not?"

"Because if she hears you, I'm willing to bet she'd murder you on the spot."

**She can't take him." She jerked her head in Harry's direction.**

"He has a name, you know." Sirius growled dangerously.

**Dudley's mouth fell open in horror but Harry's heart gave a leap. Every year on Dudley's birthday his parents took him and a friend to, adventure parks, hamburger bars or the cinema. Every year, Harry was left behind with Mrs. Figg, a mad old lady who lived two streets away.**

"That does it!" Sirius yelled making Remus jump. "On Harry's next birthday.We'll go all out and have huge party." And," Sirius said as an afterthought, "We'll use the Dursley's for entertainment." he said smirking evilly.

"Sirius, that's, " Remus started exasperatedly,then he paused, ''not a bad idea." He said smirking along with Sirius.

**Harry hated it there. The whole house smelled of cabbage and Mrs. Figg made him look at all the cats she'd ever owned.**

"Ugh, Figgy's starting to get boring in her old age." Sirius said.

"Sirius..." Remus started, but decided against it.

**"Now what?" said Aunt Petunia, looking furiously at Harry as though he'd planned this.**

**Harry knew he ought to feel sorry that Mrs. Figg had broken her leg, but it wasn't easy when he reminded himself it would be a whole year before he had to look at Tibbles, Snowy, Mr Paws and Tufty again.**

**"We could phone Marge," Uncle Vernon suggested.**

**"Don't be silly Vernon, she hates the boy."**

"Maybe before we do anything to the Dursley's we'll have them introduce us to whoever Marge is." Sirius said giving the book and evil glare.

Remus nodded his head in agreement.

**The Dursleys often spoke about Harry like this, as though he wasn't there - or rather, as though he was something very nasty that couldn't understand them, like a slug.**

**"What about what's-her-name, your friend - Yvonne?"**

**"On holiday in Majorca," snapped Aunt Petunia.**

**"You could just leave me here," Harry put in hopefully (he'd be able to watch what he wanted on television for a change and maybe even have a go on Dudley's computer.)'**

"Marauder mind," Sirius said proudly.

**Aunt Petunia looked as though she'd just swallowed a lemon.**

**"And come back and find the house in ruins?" she snarled.**

"Not a bad idea," Remus growled.

**"I won't blow up the house," said Harry, but they weren't listening.**

**"I suppose we could take him to the zoo," said Aunt Petunia slowly, "... and leave him in the car ..."**

"If they do, I swear I will introduce them to one of Hagrid's pets." Sirius snarled.

**"That car's new, he's not sitting in it alone ..."**

**Dudley began to cry loudly.**

**In fact he wasn't really crying, it had been years since he'd really cried, but he knew that if he screwed up his face and wailed, his mother would give him anything he wanted.**

"Brat," Sirius said with disgust.

**"Dinky Duddydums,**

Sirius snorted, "No wonder the kids so demented."

**don't cry, Mummy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.**

**"I ... don't ... want ... him ... t-t-to come!" Dudley yelled between huge pretend sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!" He shot Harry a nasty grin through the gap in his mother's arms.**

"Punch him, Harry." Sirius said.

**Just then, the doorbell rang - "Oh, Good Lord, they're here!" said Aunt Petunia frantically - and a moment later, Dudley's best friend Piers Polkiss, walked in with his mother.**

**Piers was a scrawny boy with a face like a rat.**

Both the Marauders faces hardened.

**He was usually the one who held people's arms behind their backs while Dudley hit them.**

"Lovely," Sirius said rolling his eyes.

**Dudley stopped pretending to cry at once.**

**Half an hour later, Harry, who couldn't believe his luck, was sitting in the back of the Dursleys' car with Piers and Dudley, on the way to the zoo for the first time in his life.**

**His aunt and uncle hadn't been able to think of anything else to do with him, but before they'd left, Uncle Vernon had taken Harry aside.**

**"I'm warning you," he had said, putting his large purple face right up close to Harry's,**

**"I'm warning you now, boy -** **any funny business, anything at all - and you'll be in that cupboard from now until Christmas."**

"Don't you _dare_ threaten him Dursely," Sirius growled.

"You know," Remus spoke up still scowling at the book, " I think Hagrid has an acromantula, of course that was just a rumor, but..." he trailed looking over at Sirius.

"Fabulous idea, Moony." Sirius replied grinning.

**"I'm not going to do anything," said Harry, "honestly ..."**

**But Uncle Vernon didn't believe him. No ever did.  
The problem was, strange things often happened around Harry and it was just no good telling the Dursleys he didn't make them happen.**

**Once, Aunt Petunia, tired of Harry coming back from the barber's looking as though he hadn't been at all, had taken a pair of scissors and cut his hair so short he was almost bald except for his fringe, which she left 'to hide that horrible scar'.**

Remus smiled as Sirius started muttering something about giving her a haircut.

**Dudley laughed himself silly at Harry, who spent a sleepless night imagining school the next day, where he was already laughed at for his baggy clothes and his Sellotaped glasses. Next morning, however, he had got up to find his hair exactly as it had been before Aunt Petunia had sheared it off.**

"Hah!'

**He had been given a week in his cupboard for this,**

A _week _in his cupboard. That's it I'm going to..." Sirius started to say but stopped when Remus got up and started walking towards the door.

"Moony, where are you going?"

Remus turned around to face him, ''to pay the Dursley's a visit." he said somewhat calmly,Then turning back towards the door he pulled out his wand and unlocked it.

"To..?" Sirius realised what he meant.

"Oh,no you don't." Sirius pulled out his wand and relocked the door.

"Sirius." Remus growled.

Sirius had a wave of deju vue. "Ain't gonna happen, Moony."

"Why not?"

"Because as you said and I quote 'they would put you in Azkaban and you would..."

"Alright, Alright." Remus said rolling his eyes and sitting down.

"Feel better?" Sirius asked grinning.

Remus scowled. ''Read."

"Or what?"

"I could always take you to the vet."

Sirius eyes widened. ''Okay now where were we?"

**even though he had tried to explain that he couldn't explain how it had grown back so quickly.**

**Another time, Aunt Petunia had been trying to force him into a revolting old jumper of Dudley's (brown with orange bobbles). The harder she tried to pull it over his head, the smaller it seemed to become, until finally it might have fitted a glove puppet, but certainly wouldn't fit Harry.**

"Nice," Remus commented smiling.

**Aunt Petunia had decided it must have shrunk in the wash and, to his great relief, Harry wasn't punished.**

**On the other hand, he'd got into terrible trouble for being found on the roof of the school kitchens.**

Both Sirius and Remus rose their eyebrows.

**Dudley's gang had been chasing him as usual** **when, as much to Harry's surprise as anyone else's, there he was sitting on the chimney.**

"He apparted?" Remus asked eyes wide.

Sirius on the other hand was concentrating on how to get back at Dudley and his friends for chasing Harry. '_maybe I should put them on the roof of the school...With a permanant sticking charm._'

**The Dursley's had received a very angry letter from Harry's headmistress telling them Harry had been climbing school buildings. But all he tried to do (as he shouted at Uncle Vernon through the locked door of his cupboard)**

"They _locked_ him in?!" Remus exclaimed.

Sirius didn't say anything.He was furious he couldn't speak.

Remus looked at him, he was about ready to rip the book apart.

"Accio," Remus muttered pointing his wand at the book.

"What was that for Moony?" Sirius yelled as the book flew from his hands to Remus'.

"Sirius if you destroy the book, we won't be able to finish reading it."

"I'm not sure I want to," Sirius said scowling, "all I _really_ want to do is murder the Duresley's"

"Trust me, I would like nothing better," Remus agreed, "But I don't know about you but I would like to know what happened during Harry's first year, seeing as he's never told us.Every time we ask him he seems to worm his way out of it, he always avoids talking about his first year at school, and his second, come to think of it.So I would like to find out what happened.What about you?" Remus asked raising an eyebrow.

Sirius sighed, "Fine.Give me the book."

Remus tossed the book to him and Sirius started reading again.

**was jump behind the big bins outside the kitchen doors. Harry supposed that the wind must have caught him in mid-jump.But today, nothing was going to go wrong. It was even worth being with Dudley and Piers to be spending the day somewhere that wasn't school, his cupboard or Mrs. Figg's cabbage-smelling living-room.While he drove, Uncle Vernon complained to Aunt Petunia. He liked to complain about things: people at work, Harry, the council, Harry, the bank and Harry were just a few of his favorite subjects. **

"I have something I'd like to complain about," Sirius said through gritted teeth, his hands tightening on the book.

"Sirius." Remus spoke up.

"I know, Moony."

**This morning, it was motorbikes. "... roaring along like maniacs, the young hoodlums," he said, as a motorbike overtook them.**

**"I had a dream about a motorbike," said Harry, remembering suddenly. "It was flying."**

Sirius gave a small smile.

**Uncle Vernon nearly crashed into the car in front. He turned right around in his seat and yelled at Harry, his face like a gigantic beetroot with a moustache, "MOTORBIKES DON'T FLY!"**

"Oh for the love of Merlin." Remus sighed resting his forehead on his hand.

**Dudley and Piers snickered.**

**"I know they don't," said Harry. **"**It was only a dream."**

**But he wished he hadn't said anything. If there was one thing the Dursleys hated more than his asking questions, it was his talking about anything acting in a way it shouldn't, no matter if it was in a dream or even in a cartoon - they seemed to think he might get dangerous ideas.It was a very sunny Saturday and the zoo was crowded with people. The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice-creams at the entrance and then,** **because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice lolly.**

Sirius started muttering again, this time about spoiled kids and the stupid parents who were selfish arrogant morons.

**It wasn't bad either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head and looking remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond.**

Sirius started laughing and Remus shook his head smiling.

"The famous marauder humor again."

**Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys** **so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunchtime, wouldn't fall back on their favorite hobby of hitting him.**

"They'd better not," growled Remus.

**They ate in the zoo restaurant and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbockers glory wasn't big enough, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.Harry felt, afterwards, that he should have known it was all too good to last.After lunch they went to the reptile house.It was cool and dark in here, with lit windows all along the walls. Behind the glass, all sorts of lizards and snakes were crawling and slithering over bits of wood and stone.Dudley and Piers wanted to see huge, poisonous cobras and thick, man-crushing pythons. Dudley quickly found the largest snake in the place.It could have wrapped its body twice around Uncle Vernon's car, and crushed it into a dustbin -**

"Maybe we should get one of them and wrap it around Dursley." suggested Sirius.

**but at the moment it didn't look in the mood.**

"Too bad."

**In fact, it was fast asleep.Dudley stood with his nose pressed against the glass, staring at the glistening brown coils**.

**"Make it move," he whined at his father. Uncle Vernon tapped on the glass, but the snake didn't budge.**

**"Do it again," Dudley ordered.Uncle Vernon rapped the glass smartly with his knuckles, but the snake just snoozed on.** **"This is boring," Dudley moaned. He shuffled away.Harry moved in front of the tank and looked intently at the snake. He wouldn't have been surprised if it had died of boredom itself - no company except people drumming their fingers on the glass trying to disturb it all day long. It was worse than having a cupboard for a bedroom, where the only visitor was Aunt Petunia hammering on the door to wake you up - at least he got to visit the rest of the house.**

"When he isn't locked in" Remus muttered angrily.

**The snake suddenly opened its beady eyes. Slowly, very slowly, it raised its head until its eyes were level with Harry's.  
It winked.**

Sirius blinked, and Remus raised an eyebrow.

**Harry stared. Then he looked quickly around to see if anyone was watching. They weren't. He looked back at the snake and winked, too.**

"Maybe Harry's daydreaming?" suggested Sirius.

Remus shrugged.

**The snake jerked its head towards Uncle Vernon and Dudley, then raised its eyes to the ceiling. It gave Harry a look that said quite plainly: "I get that all the time."**

**"I know," Harry murmured through the glass, though he wasn't sure the snake could hear him. "It must be really annoying."**

**The snake nodded vigorously.**

Sirius froze and Remus eyebrows rose.

"Harry...harry never mentioned he could talk to snakes." Sirius said hesitantnly.

"I wonder why?" Remus said looking curiously at the book.

Sirius shrugged.

"Maybe he thought we wouldn't accept him because of it," Remus suggested.

"That's ridiculous! We'd never do that!" Sirius exclaimed, ''I wouldn't..."

"I know, Sirius! I know. But look at what Harry had to live with," Remus explained pointing at the book, ''he isn't exactly used to understanding adults is he?"

"No," Sirius answered, scowling, "and I'm going to get the Dursley's for that." he added glaring.

Remus nodded and said, ''I'll help."

**"Where do you come from, anyway?" Harry asked.**

**The snake jabbed its tail at a little sign next to the glass. Harry peered at it.  
Boa Constrictor, Brazil.  
"Was it nice there?"** **The boa constrictor jabbed its tail at the sign again and Harry read on: This specimen was bred in the zoo. "Oh, I see - so you've never been to Brazil?"** **As the snake shook its head, a deafening shout behind Harry made both of them jump. " DUDLEY! MR DURSLEY! COME AND LOOK AT THIS SNAKE! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT IT'S DOING!"**

"Of course," Sirius muttered.

**Dudley came waddling towards them as fast as he could. "Out of the way, you," he said, punching Harry in the ribs.**

"That does it!When I get my hands on those Dursley's I'll...I'll..I'll" Sirius let out an angry breath.

"Stutter them to death?" Remus asked amused.Although he was angry too he couldn't pass up a chance to tease his friend.

"Stuff it, Moony."

**Caught by surprise, Harry fell hard on the concrete floor. What came next happened so fast no one saw how it happened - one second, Piers and Dudley were leaning right up close to the glass, the next, they had leapt back with howls of horror.**

"Yes!" Sirius exclaimed punching his fist in the air.

Remus smiled.

**Harry sat up and gasped; the glass front of the boa constrictor's tank had vanished.The great snake was uncoiling itself rapidly, slithering out on to the floor - people throughout the reptile house screamed and started running for the exits, as the snake slid swiftly past him, Harry could have sworn a low, hissing voice said, " Brazil, here I come ... Thanksss, amigo."** **The keeper of the reptile house was in shock.** **"But the glass," he kept saying, "where did the glass go?"**

**The zoo director himself made Aunt Petunia a cup of strong sweet tea while he apologized over and over again. Piers and Dudley could only gibber.**

Sirius started laughing twice as hard.Remus shook his head smiling at his 'insane' friend.Truth was he was just as happy.

**As far as Harry had seen, the snake hadn't done anything except snap playfully at their heels as it passed, but by the time they were all back in uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was telling them how it had nearly bitten off his leg,** **while Piers was swearing it had tried to squeeze him to death.**

"Oh, how I wish that had happened." Sirius said wistfully.

**But, worst of all, for Harry at least, was Piers calming down enough to say, "Harry was talking to it, weren't you, Harry?"**

They both groaned.

"Moron." Reus muttered, holding his head in his hand.

**Uncle Vernon waited until Piers was safely out of the house before starting on Harry. He was so angry he could hardly speak. He managed to say, "Go - cupboard - stay - no meals,"**

"No meals!!" Sirius exploded. "Those Dursleys are --!"

"Sirius."

"What?" Sirius snapped.

Then Sirius saw the look on Remus's face.He'd only seen that look a few times before and it was not a good sign.Remus's face calm, but there was a fire in his eyes.Sirius knew what that look meant.And honestly, it scared him.

"I think we'll pay a visit to the Dursleys'.With our wands of course.There was some new spells I was reading about earlier and I'd like to test them."

"Of course,Moony." Sirius said smiling, although he was still a little frightened by the look Remus was still giving the book.

**before he collapsed into a chair and Aunt Petunia had to run and get him a large brandy.Harry lay in his dark cupboard much later, wishing he had a watch. He didn't know what time it was and he couldn't be sure the Dursleys were asleep yet. Until they were, he couldn't risk sneaking in to the kitchen for some food. **

"True marauder." Sirius said giving a weak smile.

**He'd lived with the Dursleys almost ten years, ten miserable years, as long as he could remember, ever since he'd been a baby and his parents had died.**

Remus winched as if he'd been struck across the face and Sirius closed his eyes for a moment before reading again.

**Sometimes, when he strained his memory during long hours in his cupboard, he came up with a strange vision: a blinding flash of green light and a burning pain on his forehead.This, he supposed, was the crash, though he couldn't imagine where the green light came from.He couldn't remember his parents at all.**

This time a tear fell down his face and his voice shook as he read and Remus had hidden his face in his hands.

**His aunt and uncle never spoke about them, and of course he was forbidden to ask questions. There were no photographs of them in the house.When he had been younger, Harry had dreamed and dreamed of some unknown relation coming to take him away, but it had never happened;**

"I shouldn't went after Peter I was so stupid!" Sirius muttered furiously to himself.

"Sirius." Remus sighed.

"It's my fault Moony.Harry would never of had to go through any of this if I hadn't went after Peter."

"It's not your fault.It Peter's fault.It's his fault Lily and James died and that Harry had to live with the Dursleys.Not yours."

"But Moony, I --"

"No buts Sirius.it's not your fault and you know it."

Sirius opened his mouth to argue but decided against and kept reading.

**the Dursleys were his only family.Yet sometimes he thought (or maybe hoped) that strangers in the street seemed to know him. Very strange strangers they were, too.A tiny man in a violet top hat had bowed to him once while out shopping with Aunt Petunia and Dudley. After asking Harry furiously if he knew the man, Aunt Petunia had rushed them out of the shop without buying anything. A wild-looking woman dressed in all green has waved merrily at him once on a bus. A bald man in a very long purple cloak had actually shaken his hand in the street the other day then walked away without another word. The weirdest thing about all these people was the way they seemed to vanish the second Harry tried to get a closer look.At school, Harry had no one. Everybody knew that Dudley's gang hated that odd Harry Potter in his baggy old clothes and broken glasses, and nobody liked to disagree with Dudley's gang.**

Sirius sighed again, "well that was just as bloody depressing as the last chapter, maybe the next one will be better." he said hopefully tossing the book to Remus.

"One would hope," he said as he caught the book and turned to the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

_And here is the next chapter! I hope you like it, I have had a bad writers block lately and then last night I suddenly had inspiration for the next chapter.I stayed up three extra hours just to finish is.And I want to thank all my lovely reviewr's! You all made my day and gave me motivation. And now just 4 more little things._

_#1 - Remember I Don't own any of this, it's JK's._

_#2 - Check out my story challenge in my profile._

_#3 - Remember to review. _

_#4 - Enjoy the chapter._

_--_

**The letters from no one**

**The escape of the Brazilian boa constrictor earned Harry his longest-ever punishment.By the time he was allowed out of his cupboard again, the summer holidays had started**

"That's child abuse!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Actually Padfoot, they're not really hurting him physically," Remus said truthfully.

"I don't care! We should be able to do _something_! We just can't let them get away with this!"

"We won't," Remus said firmly, "We'll just have to come up with a way to get back at them."

"Oh, believe me I've got about a thousand good ideas," Sirius said folding his arms and glaring at the book.

"And exactly how many of those ideas are legal?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sirius thought for a moment, "none." He answered, shrugging.

Remus shook his head, "trust me Sirius, we _won't_ let them get away with this.But we do have to come up with something legal."

"Why?"

Remus sighed heavily and started reading again.

**and Dudley had already broken his new video camera, crashed his remote control airplane, and , first time out on his racing bike, knocked down old Mrs. Figg as she crossed Privet Drive on her crutches.Harry was glad school was over, but there was no escaping Dudley's gang, who visited the house every single day.Piers, Dennis, Malcolm, and Gordon were all big and stupid, but as Dudley was the biggest and stupidest of the lot, he was the leader.**

"Isn't surprising," Sirius said scowling.

**The rest of them were all quite happy to join in Dudley's favorite sport: Harry Hunting.**

Remus and Sirius growled.

"Maybe we should change it to 'Dudley Hunting," Sirius said through gritted teeth.

"Not a bad idea," Remus said scowling.

**This was why Harry spent as much time as possible out of the house wandering around and thinking about the end of the holidays, where he could see a tiny ray of hope.When September came he would going off to secondary school and, for the first tome in his life, he wouldn't be with Dudley.Dudley had been accepted as Uncle Vernon's old private school, Smeltings.**

"Ah, a special school for the dumb and overweight," Sirius said nodding his head,"where the halls are extra wide, and the students extra stupid."

Remus started to chuckle but quickly turned it to a fake cough.

**Piers Polkiss was going there too.Harry, on the other hand was going to Stonewall High, the local public school.Dudley thought this was very funny.**

**"They stuff people's heads down toilet's the first day of Stonewall," he told Harry. "Want to come upstairs and practice?"**

"Lay one hand on him, kid, and I promise you, you''ll never look the same again," Sirius growled.

**"No thanks," said Harry. "The poor toliet' never had anything as horrible as your head down it -- it might be sick." **

Sirius gave a bark like laugh and Remus smiled.

"Marauder sense of humor," Remus said shaking his head, but still looking quite proud.

**Then he ran, before Dudley could work out what he'd said.**

Sirius snorted, "I doubt if that moron has figured it out to this day."

**One day in July, Aunt Petunia took Dudley to London to but his Smelting's uniform, leaving Harry at Mrs. Figg's.Mrs.. Figg wasn't as bad as usual.It turned out she'd broken her leg tripping over one of her cats, and she didn't seem quite as fond of them as before.**

"Never thought I'd see the day when old Figgy wasn't fond of those blasted cats of hers," Sirius said shaking his head.

"You're just sore, because her one cat scratched your arm," Remus reminded him.

"Stupid flea-bitten thing," Sirius muttered, rubbing his forearm.

"And this coming from another flea-bitten thing," Remus said dryly.

"Oh, stuff it," Sirius said, mock glaring at his friend.

**She let Harry watch television and gave him a bit of chocolate cake that tasted as though she'd had it for several years.**

"Ew," Sirius said, making a face.

"Look who's talking," Remus said, smirking.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Padfoot, dear friend, you can't even boil water properly."

"Well, last time I checked, you weren't exactly a master chef either," Sirius pointed out.

"True, but at least my food is edible." Remus replied.

**That evening Dudley paraded around the living-room for the family in his brand new uniform.Smelting boys wore maroon tailcoats, orange knickerbockers and flat straw hats called boaters.They also carried knobbly sticks, used for hitting each other while the teachers weren't looking.**

"If he even thinks about hitting Harry with that thing, he'll find himself at the wrong end of my wand," Sirius said through gritted teeth.

**This was supposed to be good training for later life. As he looked at Dudley in his new knickerbockers, Uncle Vernon said gruffly that it was the proudest moment of his life. **

**Aunt Petunia burst into tears and said she couldn't believe it was her Ickle Dudleykins, he looked so handsome and grown-up. **

Sirius started making gagging sounds and Remus threw him an annoyed look.

**Harry didn't trust himself to speak. He thought two of his ribs might already have cracked from trying not to laugh. **

"I know how you feel, trust me," Sirius said, nodding his head.

"Padfoot, dear friend, you're talking to a book, I think it's high-time we checked you into a mental facility." Remus said, giving him a mock sad look.

Sirius glared, and stuck his tongue out.

Remus rolled his eyes, "Very Mature."

**There was a horrible smell in the kitchen the next morning when Harry went in for breakfast. It seemed to be coming from a large metal tub in the sink.**

"Probably some of Padfoot's cooking," Remus said, biting his lip to keep from laughing.

Sirius threw a pillow at him, which he caught and threw back, hitting Sirius, who had not been expecting it, right in the face.

**He went to have a look. The tub was full of what looked like dirty rags swimming in grey water. **

"**What's this?" he asked Aunt Petunia. Her lips tightened as they always did when he dared to ask a question. **

Sirius and Remus narrowed they're eyes.

"**Your new school uniform," she said. **

They both rose they're eyebrows.

"She had better be kidding," Remus said glaring.

"**Oh," he said. "I didn't realise it had to be so wet," **

Sirius smiled, "Sometimes he's so much like James it's scary.

"**Don't be stupid," snapped Aunt Petunia. "I'm dyeing some of Dudley's old things for you. It'll look just like everyone Else's when I've finished."** **Harry seriously doubted this, but thought it best not to argue. He sat down at the table and tried not to think about how he was going to look on his first day at Stonewall High **– **like he was wearing bits of old elephant skin, probably.**

Sirius growled, but then quickly stopped as though hit with a sudden idea.He pulled out his wand and conjured a piece of parchment and a quill and quickly started writing.

"What are you doing?" Remus asked slightly warily.

"I've got the perfect idea of what to do to the Dursleys."

"Is it legal?" Remus asked.

"Probably not." He answered still writing.

Remus sighed, shaking his head and went back to reading.

**Dudley and Uncle Vernon came in, both with wrinkled noses because of the smell from Harry's new uniform. Uncle Vernon opened his newspaper as usual and Dudley banged his Smeltings stick, which he carried everywhere, on the table. They heard the click of the letter-box and flop of letters on the doormat. **

"**Get the post, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon from behind his paper. **

"Finally," Sirius muttered still writing.

"**Make Harry get it."**

"**Get the post, Harry."**

"**Make Dudley get it."**

"**Poke him with your Smeltings stick, Dudley."**

Sirius looked up,scowled, and started writing faster.

**Harry dodged the Smeltings stick and went to get the post. Three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge, who was holidaying on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill and – **_**a letter for Harry. **_

Both Sirius and Remus grinned.

**Harry picked it up and stared at it, his heart twanging like a giant elastic band. No one, ever, in his whole life, had written to him. Who would? He had no friends, no other relatives **

– **he didn't belong to a library so he'd never even got rude notes asking for books back. Yet here it was, a letter, addressed so plainly there could be no mistake:**__

_**Mr H. Potter**_

_**The Cupboard under the Stairs**_

"THEY KNEW?!" Sirius exploded.

Remus winched.

"How could they? They knew he slept in a cupboard and they never did anything about it?"

Remus sighed, "Padfoot, they..."

"How stupid can they be? They knew what he had to live with and nobody did a thing?!"

"Padfoot!" Remus yelled finally gaining his attention. "I hate this just as much as you do, but there's not much we can really do about it now."

Sirius was about to retort when he stopped, struck by a sudden idea one again.An evil smile started to make it's way across his face.Remus cringed.He knew that look and it was _never_ a good thing.Sirius got up and walked to the fireplace, taking some floo powder out of the bowl on the mantle.

"Sirius, where are you going?" Remus asked warily.

Instead of answering, Sirius threw the floo powder into the fireplace, stepped in, and shouted, "Hogwarts!" And he was gone in a flash of green.Remus closed his eyes,_ 'This is not good.'_

He waited, nervously for Sirius to get back.Who knows what kind of trouble he was getting into.About several minutes later Sirius was back.And he was grinning.He sat back down and looked at Moony as if nothing had happened, waiting for him to continue.

"Padfoot, what did you do?" Remus asked.He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to know.

"I just payed our dear old Headmaster a visit." Sirius said cheerily.That wasn't a good sign either.

"Padfoot, what _exactly _did you do?"

"Let's just say, he'll be getting quite a few funny looks from his students for the next week." Sirius said his grin widening.

Remus opened his mouth to ask another question, but changed his mind, "You know, I don't want to know anymore.That way when the Ministry Officials show up I can tell them, truthfully, that I don't know anything." Remus said.

"Ah, come on, Monny.I didn't do anything illegal, inappropriate yes, but not illegal.All I did was..."

"No, stop right there.I'm just going to keep reading, because I _don't_ want to what your twisted mind has come up with this time." Remus interrupted him.

Sirius just shrugged and waited for him to continue.

_**4 Privet Drive**_

_**Little Whinging**_

_**Surrey**_

**The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink.There was no stamp.Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'. **

"**Hurry up, boy!" shouted Uncle Vernon from the kitchen. "What are you doing, checking for letter-bombs?" he chuckled at his own joke.**

"Ha...Ha..." Sirius said sarcasm, rolling his eyes at Dursleys' stuipness.

Remus smiled at his friends sarcasm, shaking his head.Sometimes it really hit him just how much he had missed his old friend.

**Harry went back to the kitchen, still staring at his letter. **

"Oh,no." Sirius muttered, resting his forehead on his hand

**He handed Uncle Vernon the bill and the postcard, sat down and slowly began to open the yellow envelope. Uncle Vernon ripped open the bill, snorted in disgust and flipped over the postcard. **

"**Marge's ill," **

"Yes!" Sirius cried punching his fist in the air.

Remus smiled.They had heard a little about Marge from Harry.Granted it wasn't much.After they had questioned him time and time again, all they had gotten was 'I never like her' and when asked why Harry would just tell them that she had rather detested him.And once he let slip that she had insulted him quite often.It wasn't much to go on, but they could tell Harry had rather hated her, and they had immediately taken a strong dislike to the woman, even though they had never met her.

**he informed Aunt Petunia. "Ate a funny whelk…"**

"**Dad!" said Dudley suddenly. "Dad, Harry's got something!"**

"Oh, shut up once!" Sirius snapped at the book.

"**That's **_**mine**_**!" said Harry, trying to snatch it back. **

"You tell him Harry!" Sirius cried, rooting for his godson.Remus smiled.

"**Who'd be writing to you?" sneered Uncle Vernon, **

"Dursley..." Sirius growled.

**shaking the letter open with one hand and glancing at it. His face went from red to green faster than a set of traffic lights. And it didn't stop there. Within seconds it was the grayish-white of old porridge. **

"**P-P-Petunia!" he gasped. **

Dudley tried to grab the letter to read it, but Uncle Vernon held it high out of his reach. Aunt Petunia took it curiously and read the first line. For a moment it looked as though she might faint.

"Oh, I hope so," Sirius muttered to himself.

**She clutched her throat and made a choking noise. "Vernon! Oh my goodness – Vernon!"**

"Oh my goodness! It's terrible! Just terrible! Our entire world is crashing down around us!"

Remus smiled, " That's probably what they thought too."

"Probably."

**They stared at each other, seeming to have forgotten that Harry and Dudley were still in the room. Dudley wasn't used to being ignored. He gave his father a sharp tap on the head with his Smeltings stick. **

"**I want to read that letter," he said loudly. **

"_**I **_**want to read it," said Harry furiously, "as it's **_**mine**_**."**

"Very good point, Harry!" Sirius cried

"Sirius, you're talking to a book, mate." Remus said trying not to laugh.

"I know that." Sirius said.

"Yeah, right."

"**Get out, both of you," croaked Uncle Vernon, stuffing the letter back inside its envelope. **

Harry didn't move.

"**I WANT MY LETTER!" he shouted. **

"Go Harry!"

"Sirius! I can't read if you keep interrupting me every few minutes."

"But what's the fun of just reading it? I have to throw my opinion in to make it exciting."

Remus groaned, "You know, I don't think you made half as many comments when you were the one reading." Remus handed the book out to Sirius, "Why don't you read?"

"I don't want to.Because then I can't comment as much." Sirius said grinning.

"Why do I even bother?" Remus muttered to himself.

"**Let **_**me **_**see it!" demanded Dudley. **

"**OUT!" roared Uncle Vernon, and he took both Harry and Dudley by the scruffs of their necks and threw them into the hall, **

"Now that's child abuse!" Sirius yelled, "They can't deny it, right Moony?"

Remus didn't say a thing, he didn't really trust himself to speak he was so angry at the Dursleys.

"Moony?" Sirius asked warily.

"Padfoot, may I see that list you were writing for the Dursleys?"

"Sure," Sirius said, more confused this time than wary.He handed the list and a quill to Moony, who promptly started writing.After he finished he handed the list back to Sirius, who read what his friend had written.His eyebrows rose.

"Moony, is this even physically possible?"

"We'll find out." Remus said calmly and started reading again.

**slamming the kitchen door behind them. Harry and Dudley promptly had a furious but silent fight over who would listen at the keyhole; Dudley won, so Harry, his glasses dangling from one ear, lay flat on his stomach to listen at the crack between door and floor. **

"**Vernon," Aunt Petunia was saying in a quivering voice, "look at the address – how could they possibly know where he sleeps? You don't think they're watching the house?"**

"**Watching – spying – might be following us," muttered Uncle Vernon wildly. **

"Paranoid." Remus muttered, now slightly calmed down.

"We could make them even more paranoid." Sirius said with an evil grin.

Remus grinned too, "Good idea."

"**But what should we do, Vernon? Should we write back? Tell them we don't want –"**

Harry could see Uncle Vernon's shiny black shoes pacing up and down the kitchen.

"**No," he said finally. "No, we'll ignore it. if they don't get an answer…yes, that's best…we won't do anything…"**

Sirius snorted, "Moron." he muttered.

"I thought we'd already established that fact?" Remus said.

"We did, I'm just emphasising it."

"**But –"**

"**I'm not having one in the house, Petunia! Didn't we swear when we took his in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"**

"_Stamp_ it out of him?" Remus growled dangerously.

"You know, I swore I'd _never_ ask Snape for anything.But as much as I hate to admit it he is good with potions, maybe we could convince him to give us some potions." Sirius said.

"Do you really think Snape is going willingly to help us?" Remus asked raising an eyebrow.

"Well no, but I could always threaten him." Sirius said shrugging.

**That evening when he got back from work, Uncle Vernon did something he'd never done before;**

"Went on a diet?" Sirius asked dryly.

**he visited Harry in his cupboard. **

"With as fat as he his, if he doesn't get stuck I'll be highly surprised." Remus muttered.

Sirius rose his eyebrows at Remus.

"What?"

"Nothing." Sirius answered simply, shaking his head.

"**Where's my letter?" said Harry, the moment Uncle Vernon squeezed through the door. **"**Who's writing to me?"**

"See, now that's another thing he gets from James," Sirius interrupted, "he was always really straight forward."

"Yeah, he was.I believe the first words he said to Lily were, 'will you go out with me?' " Remus agreed smirking.

"**No one. It was addressed to you by mistake," said Uncle Vernon shortly. "I have burned it."**

"He burned it?" Sirius asked incredulously, "How could anyone be that stupid?"

Remus rose as eyebrows. "Well, you have to remember who you're talking about." he pointed out.

"This is true." Sirius agreed.

"**It was **_**not**_** a mistake," said Harry angrily. "It had my cupboard on it."**

"**SILENCE!" yelled Uncle Vernon,**

"Oi! Don't yell at my godson!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Sirius, you're talking to a book again." Remus pointed out tiredly.

"Well, I can't help, Dursley is such a --"

"Sirius!" Remus yelled, cutting him off.

**and a couple of spiders fell from the ceiling. He took a few deep breaths and then forced his face into a smile, which looked quite painful.**

"One can only hope," Sirius said through gritted teeth.

"**Er – yes, Harry – about this cupboard. Your aunt and I have been thinking…you're really getting a bit big for it**

Sirius and Remus both growled.

"He shouldn't have been in there in the first place." Sirius said through gritted teeth, trying very hard not to call Dursley every foul name he could think of.

"Maybe we should make the Durlsyes sleep in a cupboard and see how much they like it." Remus said, eyes narrowed.

"Good idea, Moony," Sirius agreed smirking, "Only one problem."

"What's that?"

"Finding a cupboard that's big enough to stuff Dursley into."

A smile tugged at the corner's of Remus' mouth, "That's true."

…**we think it might be nice if you moved into Dudley's second bedroom."**

"Second bedroom?!" Remus yelled sitting up straighter

"They gave that pig two bedrooms,while my godson had to sleep in a cupboard!" Sirius yelled dangerously.

Remus let out a long breath to keep his temper under control, and started reading.Not that Sirius was paying much attention, he was muttering to himself about all the curse he could try out on the Dursleys' on their visit.

"**Why?" said Harry. **

"**Don't ask questions!" snapped his uncle. "Take this stuff upstairs, now."**

**The Dursleys' house had four bedrooms: one for Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia, one for visitors (usually Uncle Vernon's sister, Marge), one where Dudley slept and one where Dudley kept all the toys and things that wouldn't fit into his first bedroom. **

Remus opened his mouth angrily but was cut off by Sirius.

"Let me get this straight, they had _TWO_ bedrooms Harry could have slept in and they made him sleep in that lousy cupboard?!" He yelled, getting angrier by the second. "Right, that does it!"

He stood up and headed towards the door again.

"Here we go again," Remus muttered to himself, pulling out his wand. "Levicourpus!"

Sirius was immediately yanked up into the air by his ankle.

"Moony! Let me down!"

"Not until you promise you won't go to the Dursleys.Until after we finish the book." Remus amended.

Sirius said nothing.

"Sirius." Remus warned him.

"Alright! Alright! I promise!" He answered angrily.

Remus levitated him over top of the couch and he had previously been setting on and took the spell off.Sirius fell into a heap on the couch.

"Thanks alot." Sirius muffled voice came as he tried to disentangle himself.

"No problem." Remus replied smirking as he sat back down and started reading again.

**It only took Harry one trip upstairs to move everything he owned from the cupboard to this room.**

Sirius and Remus both growled again.

"I can't believe those stpuid, idiotic, moronic...! Remus kept mutter every single name he could think off.

And Sirius was silently vowing to buy every possible present for Harry this Chirstmas and his birthday.

**He sat down on the bed and stared around him. Nearly everything in here was broken. The month old cine-camera was lying on top of a small, working tank Dudley had once driven over next door's dog; in the corner was Dudley's first-ever television set, which he'd put his foot through when his favourite programme had been cancelled; there was a large birdcage which had once held a parrot that Dudley had swapped at school for a real air-rifle, which was up on a shelf with the end all bent because Dudley had sat on it. Other shelves were full of books. They were the only things in the room that looked as though they'd never been touched. **

"Of course not," Remus said rolling his eyes.

"I doubt if that kid can even read." Sirius muttered, still very angry.

**From downstairs came the sound of Dudley bawling at his mother: "I don't **_**want **_**him in there…I **_**need **_**that room…make him get out…"**

**Harry sighed and stretched out on the bed. Yesterday he'd have given anything to be up here. Today he'd rather be back in his cupboard with that letter than up here without it. Next morning at breakfast, everyone was rather quiet. Dudley was in shock. He'd screamed, whacked his father with his Smeltings stick, been sick on purpose, kicked his mother and thrown his tortoise through the greenhouse roof and he still didn't have his room back.**

"Oh, poor thing," Remus said sarcastically, faking a sympathetic look.

"The world's smallest violin playing just for you," Sirius said rubbing his thumb and finger together.

**Harry was thinking about this time yesterday and bitterly wishing he'd opened the letter in the hall. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia kept looking at each other darkly. **

**When the post arrived, Uncle Vernon, who seemed to be trying to be nice to Harry, made Dudley go and get it. **

"Yeah right, 'tryig to be nice' my foot." Sirius mutter angrily.

**They heard him banging things with his Smeltings stick all the way down the hall. Then he shouted, "There's another one! **_**Mr H. Potter, The Smallest Bedroom, 4 Privet Drive –"**_

**With a strangled cry, Uncle Vernon leapt from his seat and ran down the hall, Harry right behind.Uncle Vernon had to wrestle Dudley to the ground to get the letter from him, which was made difficult by the fact that Harry had grabbed Uncle Vernon around the neck from behind.**

"Choke him!" Sirius yelled at the book.

Remus bit his lip to keep from laughing.Because he was silently agreeing with Sirius, not that he would admit it to Sirius, he'd never hear the end of it.

**After a minute of confused fighting, in which everyone got hit by the Smeltings stick, Uncle Vernon straightened up, gasping for breath, with Harry's letter clutched in his hand.**

"**Go to your cupboard – I mean, your bedroom," he wheezed at Harry. "Dudley – go – just go."**

**Harry walked round and round his new room. Someone knew he had moved out of his cupboard and they seemed to know he hadn't received his first letter.**

"Of course they knew, but did they bother doing anything about it? No, why would they?" Sirius muttered to himself.

Remus watched his friend carefully, contemplating whether or not to take him to St. Mungos'.

**Surely that meant they'd try again? And this time he'd make sure they didn't fail. He had a plan.**

Sirius smiled.

"That somehow, sounds familiar," Remus commented dryly.

**The repaired alarm clock rang at six o'clock the next morning. Harry turned it off quickly and dressed silently. He mustn't wake the Dursleys. He stole downstairs without turning on any of the lights. He was going to wait for the postman on the corner of Privet Drive and get the letters for number four first. His heart hammered as he crept across the dark hall towards the front door –**

"**AAAAARRRGH!"**

Even though Remus hadn't yelled, Sirius jumped slightly.

**Harry leapt into the air – he'd trodden on something big and squashy on the doormat – something **_**alive**_.**Lights clicked on upstairs and to his horror Harry realised that the big squashy something had been his uncle's face. **

Sirius laughed.Remus looked half amused, half worried.He knew Harry would get in trouble for what he had done, but couldn't help but find humor in the fact that Harry had stepped on Dursley's face.

**Uncle Vernon had been lying at the foot of the front door in a sleeping bag, clearly making sure that Harry didn't do exactly what he'd been trying to do. He shouted at Harry for about half an hour and then told him to go and make a cup of tea. Harry shuffled miserably off to the kitchen and by the time he got back, to post had arrived, right into Uncle Vernon's lap. Harry could see three letters addressed in green ink. **

"**I want –" he began, but Uncle Vernon was tearing the letters into pieces before his eyes. **

Remus and Sirius growled.

**Uncle Vernon didn't go to work that day. He stayed at home and nailed up the letterbox. **

"**See," he explained to Aunt Petunia through a mouthful of nails, "if they can't **_**deliver **_**them they'll just give up."**

Sirius snorted, "Yeah right.Go ahead Dursley, live in your constant state of denile.

"**I'm not sure that'll work, Vernon." **

"See, even she knows it won't work," Sirius pointed out.

Remus thought, breifly about pointing out to his friend that he was talking to a book.But instead decided against it.

"**Oh, these people's minds work in strange ways, Petunia, they're not like you and me," said Uncle Vernon,**

"Thank Merlin!" Remus cried.And Sirius let out a bark like laugh.

**trying to knock in a nail with the piece of fruitcake Aunt Petunia had just brought him. On Friday, no fewer than twelve letters arrived for Harry. As they couldn't go through the letterbox they had been pushed under the door, slotted through the sides and a few even forced through the small in the downstairs toilet. Uncle Vernon stayed home again. After burning all the letters, he got out a hammer and nails and boarded up the cracks around the front and back doors so no one could go out. He hummed 'Tiptoe through the Tulips' as he worked, and jumped at small noises. **

"The man is mentally unstable," Sirius said shaking his head.

"We already knew that," pointed out Remus.

"True," Sirius replied smirking slightly.

**On Saturday, things began to get out of hand. **

"They already have," Sirius said rolling his eyes.

**Twenty-four letters to Harry found their way into the house, rolled up and hidden inside each of the two dozen eggs that their very confused milkman had handed Aunt Petunia through the living-room window. While Uncle Vernon made furious telephone calls to the post office and the dairy trying to find someone to complain to, Aunt Petunia shredded the letters in her food mixer. **

"**Who on earth wants to talk to **_**you **_**this badly?" Dudley asked Harry in amazement.On Sunday morning, Uncle Vernon sat down at the breakfast table looking tried and rather ill, but happy. **

"**No post on Sundays," he reminded them happily as he spread marmalade on his newspapers, "no damn letters today –"**

"Right, it's official, he's defiantly losing it." said Remus, shaking his head.

"I doubt he ever had it in the first place." Sirius commented.

**Something came whizzing down the kitchen chimney as he spoke and caught him sharply on the back of the head. Next moment, thirty or forty letters came pelting out of the fireplace like bullets. **

Sirius chuckled and Remus smiled.

**The Dursleys ducked, but Harry leapt into the air trying to catch one – "Out! OUT!"**

Sirius growled and Remus' face hardened.

Sirius reached over to grab the list of things he had planned to do to the Dursley's, but it was gone.He looked over at Remus who had already snatched it up and writing quickly.Sirius blinked a few times, and then smiled, shaking his head.After he finished Remus calmly handed the list over to Sirius and started reading again.

**Uncle Vernon seized Harry around the waist and threw him into the hall. When Aunt Petunia and Dudley had run out with their arms over their faces, Uncle Vernon slammed the door shut. They could hear the letters still streaming into the room, bouncing off the walls and floor. **

"**That does it," said Uncle Vernon, trying to speak calmly but pulling great tufts out of his moustache at the same time. **

"**I want you all back here in five minutes, ready to leave. We're going away. Just pack some clothes. No arguments!"**

"I think maybe we should check Dursley into a institute for the mentally unstable," Sirius commented, raising his eyebrows.

"I think someone should have done that long ago." Remus said.

**He looked so dangerous with half his moustache missing that no one dared argue. Ten minutes later they had wrenched their way through the boarded up doors and were in the car, speeding towards the motorway. Dudley was sniffling in the back seat; his father had hit him round the head**

"About time," Sirius mumbled.

**for holding them up while he tried to pack his television, video and computer in his sports bag. They drove. And they drove. Even Aunt Petunia didn't dare ask where they were going. Every now and then Uncle Vernon would take a sharp turn and drive in the opposite direction for a while. **

"**Shake 'em off…shake 'em off," he would mutter whenever he did this. **

Remus and Sirius rose their eyebrows.

"Okay...Truth be told, I'm a little afraid of him right now," Sirius commented.And Remus nodded his head in agreement.

**They didn't stop to eat or drink all day. By nightfall Dudley was howling. He'd never had such a bad day in his life. He was hungry, he'd missed five television programmes he'd wanted to see and he'd never gone so long without blowing up an alien on his computer.**

"Life is hard, isn't it, Dudders?" said Sirius rolling his eyes.

**Uncle Vernon stopped at last outside a gloomy-looking hotel on the outskirts of a big city. Dudley and Harry shared a room with twin beds and damp, musty sheets. Dudley snored but Harry stayed awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring down at the lights of passing cars and wondering…**

**They ate stale cornflakes and cold tinned tomatoes on toast for breakfast next day.They had just finished when the owner of the hotel came over to their table. **

"'**Scuse me, but is one of you Mr H. Potter? Only I got about an 'undred of these at the front desk." **

**She held up a letter so they could read the green ink address. **

_**Mr H. Potter**_

_**Room 17**_

_**Railview Hotel**_

_**Cokeworth**_

**Harry made a grab for the letter but Uncle Vernon knocked his hand out of the way. The woman stared. **

"See, she noticed something was wrong.She should have reported it!' Sirius exclaimed.

"**I'll take them," said Uncle Vernon, standing up quickly and following her from the dining room. Wouldn't it be better just to go home, dear?" Aunt Petunia suggested timidly, hours later, but Uncle Vernon didn't seem to hear her. Exactly what he was looking for, none of them knew. He drove them into the middle of a forest, got out, looked around, got back in the car and off they went again. The same thing happened in the middle of a ploughed field, halfway across a suspension bridge and at the top of a multi-storey car park. **

"Okay, now he's starting to freak me out," Sirius said, looking at the book worriedly.

"**Daddy's gone mad, hasn't he?" Dudley asked Aunt Petunia dully late that afternoon. **

"Congratulations, Dudders, you finally got something right," Sirius said, still looking at the book.

"Probably the only thing he'll ever get right," Remus stated.

"True," said Sirius smirking.

**Uncle Vernon had parked at the coast, locked them all inside the car and disappeared. It started to rain. Great drops beat on the roof of the car. Dudley snivelled. **

"**It's Monday," he told his mother. "The Great Humberto's on tonight.I want to stay somewhere with a **_**television**_**."**

**Monday. This reminded Harry of something. If it **_**was**_** Monday – and you could usually count on Dudley to know the days of the week, because of television – then tomorrow, Tuesday, was Harry's eleventh birthday.**

Sirius and Remus both smiled.

**Of course, his birthdays were never exactly fun – last year, the Dursleys had given him a coat hanger and a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks. **

They both scowled.

"Those evil... Sirius what are you doing," Remus asked, watching as his friend conjured another piece of parchment and starting writing.

"I'm writing down ideas for Harry's birthday.We're going to make it the best birthday he's ever had." Sirius answered.

Remus watched him writing for a few minutes, every so often he would mumble something like 'we could always turn them in to animals for entertainment' or 'maybe we could cast that color changing charm on them'.

Remus didn't bother to ask, he was positive he didn't even want to know.

**Still, you weren't eleven every day. Uncle Vernon was back and he was smiling.He was also carrying a long, thin package and didn't answer Aunt Petunia when she asked what he'd bought.**

"**Found the perfect place!" he said. "Come on! Everyone out!"**

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out to sea.Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. **

**It was very cold outside the car. Uncle Vernon was pointing at what looked like a large rock way out to sea.Perched on top of the rock was the most miserable little shack you could imagine. **

You've got to be kidding." Remus stated, looking at the book in surprise.

**One thing was certain, there was no television in there. **

"**Storm forecast for tonight!" said Uncle Vernon gleefully, clapping his hands together. "And this gentleman's kindly agreed to lend us his boat!"**

**A toothless old man came ambling up to them, pointing, with a rather wicked grin, at an old rowing boat bobbing in the iron-grey water below them. **

"**I've already got us some rations," said Uncle Vernon, "so all aboard!"**

**It was freezing in the boat. Icy sea spray and rain crept down their necks and a chilly wind whipped their faces. After what seemed like hours they reached the rock, where Uncle Vernon, slipping and sliding,**

"Oh, please let him fall in the water," Sirius mumbled to himself.

A smile tugged at the corner's of Remus's mouth, but he kept reading.

**led the way to the broken-down house. The inside was horrible; it smelled strongly of seaweed, the wind whistled through the gaps in the wooden walls and the fireplace was damp and empty. There were only two rooms. Uncle Vernon's rations turned out to be a packet of crisps each and four bananas.**

"Yum," Sirius commented, sarcastically.

**He tried to start a fire but the empty crisp packets just smoked and shrivelled up. **

"**Could do with some of those letters now, eh?" he said cheerfully. **

They both narrowed their eyes, but didn't say anything.

**He was in a very good mood. Obviously he thought nobody stood a chance of reaching them here in a storm to deliver post.**

Sirius snorted, "Still living in our constant state of denial I see."

Remus laughed, shaking his head.

**Harry privately agreed, though the thought didn't cheer him up at all. As night fell, the promised storm blew up around them. Spray from the high waves splattered the walls of the hut and a fierce wind rattled the filthy windows.Aunt Petunia found a few moldy blankets in the second room and made up a bed for Dudley on the moth-eaten sofa.She and Uncle Vernon went off to the lumpy bed next door, and Harry was left to** **find the softest bit of floor he could and curl up under the thinnest, most ragged blanket. **

Growling Sirius snatched up the list, before Remus could and started writing.Remus was to busy muttering about evil morons to notice.He was interrupted when Sirius yelled his name.

"Moony!"

"What?!" he snapped. "Sorry, Sirius," he added winching, not meaning to snap at his friend.

"It's all right.But, what do you think should we change the Dursleys into Pigs, or giraffes? Pigs seem to fit them but it's a little too original." he said his quill poised over the parchment ready to write.

Remus rose an eyebrows, "We could change Dudley and Vernon into pigs and Petunia into a giraffes." he suggested.

"Good idea." he said writing it down, "Okay, go ahead." he added after the finished the last sentence.

**The storm raged more and more ferociously as the night went on. Harry couldn't sleep. He shivered and turned over, trying to get comfortable, his stomach rumbling with hunger. Dudley's snores were drowned by the low rolls of thunder that started near midnight. The lighted dial of Dudley's watch, which was dangling over the edge of the sofa on his fat wrist, told Harry he'd be eleven in ten minutes' time. He lay and watched his birthday tick nearer, wondering if the Dursleys would remember at all, **

They scowled but didn't speak.Both imagining ways of making Harry's next birthday party, the best he'd ever had.

**wondering where the letter-writer was now. Five minutes to go. Harry heard something creak outside. He hoped the roof wasn't going to fall in, although he might be warmer if it did. Four minutes to go. Maybe the house at Privet Drive would be so full of letters when they got back that he'd be able to steal one somehow. Three minutes to go. Was that the sea, slapping hard on the rock like that? And (two minutes to go) what was that funny crunching noise? Was the rock crumbling into the sea?** **One minute to go and he'd be eleven. Thirty seconds…twenty…ten – nine – maybe he'd wake Dudley up, just to annoy him**

Sirius let out a bark like laugh and Remus smiled.

– **three – two – one – BOOM. **

Even though Remus hadn't shouted, Sirius once again jumped.

**The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in. **

"Finally, someones coming to help Harry!" Sirius exclaimed.

Remus opened his mouth to reply but was caught off when the fireplace flared up again.As the green flames and smoke disappeared they could see who it was.It was Harry...

_--_

_Okay first of all I want to thank __rosebook__ for giving me this idea.And I know I'm evil for leaving you with a cliffie, but I'll have the next chapter up soon.It'll kind of a be and interlude, they'll talk with Harry in the next chapter, then after he leaves they'll get back to reading in the next chapter.Hope you like it.And PLEASE review, I promise you I'll cry if you don't._


	5. Chapter 5

_Okay this is a quick break between them reading chapters.And don't worry, they'll read 'the keeper of keys' in the next chapter.This is just a little interlude.I also want to thank rosebook for this idea.And another big thank you to all my lovely reviewers, it always makes my day to get a review!_

_I don't own it, JK' does. _

_--_

"Harry?" Remus asked, "Why aren't you at school?"

"Well, as I was coming out of charms, I noticed something was off color._Really _off color."

Remus noticed Sirius smirking, but decided not to interrupt.

"Of course, I wasn't the only one who noticed.It's kind of hard _not_ to notice when your headmaster's hair is neon pink."

Sirius started to laugh and Remus hid his face in his hands.

"Are you okay Remus?" Harry asked him, sitting down in an armchair near the fire place.

Remus looked up, "I was hoping to never find out what happened, that way I could tell the ministry officials that I didn't know anything."

Harry laughed.

"What I want to know," Sirius interrupted, "Is why after seeing such a _brilliant_ prank, you came here."

Harry smirked, "Just call it a sixth sense."

This time it was Remus' turn to laugh.

"I would like to know why you turned his hair pink though," Harry said.

"Revenge," Sirius stated simply.

Harry rose an eyebrow, "I thought you were over him making you stay here here last year?"

"I am.But something new came up." Sirius replied.

"Such as?" Harry asked curiously.

Sirius pulled out the book and held it up for Harry to see.

"Why is my name on it?" Harry asked, looking slightly shocked.

"We wondered the same thing." Remus told him.

Sirius handed the book to Harry, who took it, staring at it oddly. "Sorcerer's Stone?" he asked, now more shocked than ever.

"Yeah, what is that exactly? I've been wondering." Sirius asked.

"Nothing." Harry said quickly.

"Uh, huh." Sirius replied, not buying it.

Harry flipped through it, mumbling a few chapter titles as he went, "Nicohlas Flamel...Halloween...Diagon Alley...The Letters From No One..."

"This is all about my first year, isn't it?" Harry asked winching.

"And a little bit about your life with the Dursleys' " Remus told him.

Harry winched again, "How much did it tell you?"

Sirius sighed, "about what _lovely_ presents the Dursleys' gave you for your birthday, that they refused to give you your letter, how they lied to you, made you sleep in a cupboard."

Harry closed his eyes.

Sirius moved over to sit next to Harry and out his hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, pup.It's not your fault."

Remus came to sit on Harry's other side and started rubbing, comforting circles on Harry's back.

"Sirius is right Harry.It's not your fault how the Durlsyes treated you."

All of a sudden Harry's eyes snapped open, "Wait a minute, you didn't do anything to the Dursleys did you?"

"Now what ever gave you the idea we might do something like that?" Sirius asked, hoping to cheer up his godson.

Harry smiled, "I told you, it's like a sixth sense." He frowned again, "You _didn't_ do anything, did you?"

"No, of course not." Sirius replied.

And Harry smiled in relief, knowing if they had done something to the Dursleys they might get in trouble, even if Kingsly was more fair, he couldn't just ignore the laws.

"Yet," Sirius added suddenly, "We decided to wait until we finish the book.That way we can get payback for everything at once instead of making a bunch of trips."

"Just forget it, it happened five years ago, don't worry about it." Harry tried, but he knew it wouldn't do much good.

"Harry, we're not going to 'just forget about it'.What they did is wrong and we're going make sure they get what they deserve." Remus stated.

Harry rose an eyebrow, Remus would have usually never agreed with Sirius on something like this.He must really be angry with the Dursleys.

"Just promise me you won't do anything illegal." Harry pleaded.

"Of course we wouldn't." Remus said, giving him a reassuring smile.

"That's his plan," Sirius said, I figured we should..."

"Sirius." Remus interrupted.

Sirius looked at Harry, he looked like he was really worried that he would do something against the law and get into trouble.Sirius bit his lip, he _really_ would love to make the Dursleys pay for what they had done to Harry, but if it meant that he might get in enough trouble that they might make Harry live with the Durslyes again, or someone else, he wouldn't.That didn't mean he'd let the Dursleys slide completely, they were going to pay for what they had done, but he'd try and not go over board.Remus would help keep him from doing anything too rash...Of course, with as angry as he had been getting at the Dursleys through the past three chapters, he might have to help Remus from doing anything too rash, as well.

"I promise." Sirius said.

Harry smiled, relieved.

"By the way, Harry." Sirius said, as if he had suddenly remembered something, "Why didn't you tell us you were a parselmouth?"

"It-- it told you about that too, huh?"

"Yes, it also told us how you sent the giant snake on Dudley and his friend," Remus said, smiling.

"Oh yeah, I'd almost forgotten about that," Harry said reminiscently.

"It was bloody brilliant, if you ask me," Sirius said smiling.

"Still, Harry, why didn't you tell us?" Remus asked frowning slightly.

"I guess, I figured you would think it was.odd.And besides it's an evil ability, I..."

"Harry, you're _not_ evil." Sirius said firmly.

"Well, I can speak parseltounge and I..."

"Harry, listen to me," Remus said placing a hand on his shoulder, "You're _not_ evil.Just because you can speak parsletounge doesn't mean you're a bad person."

"Well, how many people do you know can speak parsletounge and aren't evil?" Harry asked.

"I know of at least one," Remus said, smiling.

Harry smiled too.

"Listen to Remus, Harry.He always was the smartest of the four of us at school." Sirius said smirking.

"Of course I was, because I actually took time to study." Remus replied, smirking as well.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, you used to tell us that all the time at school."

"Of course, I was hoping to save my friends from wasting they're education, but as everyone knows, it didn't do any good."

Sirius stuck his tongue out.

"He's been like that all day.Quite unbearable really." Remus told Harry..

Harry laughed, "Well, I had better get back or I'll be late," Harry said, giving both of them a hug and then standing up.

"Late for what?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow.

Harry blushed, "nothing."

"Harry when you blush that hard, it's definitely not 'nothing'" Sirius said, smirking. "You blushed as hard as Moony did when Tonks stopped by earlier."

Remus glared at his friend and hit him on the back of the head.

"I'm just...going to Hogsmead." Harry replied, still blushing.Which made Sirius grin even more.

"With who?"

Harry sighed, "With Ginny, okay?"

"Ginny Weasley?" Sirius asked, surprised sitting up.

Harry nodded.

Sirius opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Harry.

"Don't say it.That's why I wasn't going to tell you, because I knew you'd tease me." Harry said, although he couldn't but smile a little.He really didn't mind all that much.

"I was not going to tease you," Sirius said, then he started humming the tune to 'a cauldron full of hot, strong love' which Mrs. Weasley had played last Christmas.

Harry scowled at his godfather and then rolled his eyes, smiling slightly.

"See you later," he told them, grabbing some Floo powder from the bowl.

"See you later, Harry." Remus said.

"See you," Sirius replied as well, before continuing to hum the tune of the song to further annoy his godson.

Harry shook his head smiling, before stepping into the fireplace and flooing back to Hogwarts.

_--_

_Hope you liked it! And Please review!_


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